November 1, 2007 - 7:38pm
Prosecutor slams Dennison
By Matt FriedmanBurlington County Prosecutor Robert D. Bernardi said today that Richard Dennison was misleading the public about his office’s actions.
“While my office does not generally comment on ongoing investigations, in this case I feel compelled to publicly respond to certain statements that Mr. Dennison falsely attributes to my office,” Bernardi wrote in a statement.
In an email posted on PoliticsNJ.com, Dennison complained that, as retribution for his own complaint about State Sen. Diane Allen’s staff allegedly stealing his campaign signs, her campaign filed a complaint against one of his teenaged volunteers. Dennison said that, after questioning the volunteer, who he said was 17, the prosecutor’s office “
admitted that the charge was absolutely baseless and surmised, as I have, that it more than likely came as retribution for my threat to file suit against those responsible for stealing my signs.”But Bernardi said that his office never concluded that the charges against volunteer in question were false. Moreover, Bernardi added, the volunteer 18 years old, and that he got his name not from the Allen campaign but from Dennison’s father. Bernardi had contacted the father in an attempt to reach Richard Dennison because a witness to the alleged vandalism had reported a license plate number belonging to a car leased by the candidate himself.
“Without revealing specific details of that interview, Mr. Dennison’s claim that the allegations against the 18 year old were “absolutely baseless” is in fact false,” said Bernardi. “Even more troubling is the fact that Mr. Dennison has made these public statements in his posting when he had been previously advised by a member of my staff that the evidence against the 18 year old was overwhelming.”
Bernardi went on to castigate Dennison further.
“In my view, this candidate has attempted to politicize the actions of my office in investigating what was a citizen complaint against one of his campaign volunteers. I cannot permit my office to be manipulated in this fashion.
”Dennison admitted that investigators never told him that the allegations were “baseless,” but it up to a mistake in a hastily written email.
“I should have flushed out what I was saying….. Nobody from the prosecutor’s office said to me that this is entirely baseless – that was my conclusion based on their handling of it,” said Dennison. “They told him you’re not in any trouble, you don’t need an attorney present….. By virtue of them cutting him loose I found it to be baseless.”
Dennison said that he believes his volunteer is innocent, and that he got his age wrong by accident. He added that Bernardi’s letter wasn’t entirely accurate either.
“Nobody ever told me the evidence against him was overwhelming,” said Dennison.
Dennison added that the volunteer and his family were traumatized by the experience, and insinuated that Allen was somehow behind the original complaint.
“The whole family is frightened and I blame one person: Diane Allen. The timing of this? Let’s get real here,” said Dennison. “Bernardi of course he wants to defend his office because he doesn’t want to make it look like ‘oh gee, we went after this kid for no reason whatsoever.”
Allen’s campaign manager, Adam Bauer, found Dennison’s spin ridiculous.
“Mr. Dennison has no one to blame for the prosecutor’s actions but himself,” said Bauer "Nobody from our campaign asked anyone to make a call reporting lawn sign theft or anything like that"
Bauer stressed that the Allen camapign did not encourage the prosecutor to write the letter.
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Desperate
The entire Burlco Dems have fallen apart and are now panicking and making stupid mistakes.
Guys - you lost - don't ruin yourselves further.
Sean K - stop the madness. Call some old friends - you will get crushed otherwise.
Perr led you astray - don't go down with the ship.
ITS BEAUTIFUL!
wow, talk about DENNISON GETTING HIS JUST DESSERTS IN RECORD TIME!
what an ass hole! Bravo for the prosecutor for calling this little baby out!
Now, do not feel bad Dennison, for I am sure that MartinOne will hold your hand as you sob into your "happy meal" and McDonalds and wonder why DID THE PEOPLE OF THE 7TH DISTRICT NOT TAKE YOU SERIOULSY!
WHAT IS SAD DENNISON IS THAT ANY FURTHER CREDIBILITY YOU MAY HAVE HAD GOING FORWARD TO A FUTURE ELECTION HAS BEEN SHOT BY YOUR IDIOTIC CHILDISH BEHAVIOR!
gopgal08/pablos3/ronald_mcdon
gopgal08/pablos3/ronald_mcdonald/MapleShade411: Quit the personal attacks and name-calling, and ask Allen to come clean about her role in this entire affair. Maybe Dennison jumped the gun, but again, he lost thousands in stolen campaign signs in the first place.
MartinOne
THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN DEFEND DENNISON ON THIS ONE.
You can try all you want to spin this, but the bottom line is Dennison is running the worst campaign in the entire state. He is a joke among Republicans, Independents and Democrats.
Nobody likes him. Herb and Jack don't even want to be seen in public with him.
He thinks hes running against Bush, he makes up accusations about Senator Allen's campaign and can't get facts about anything straight.
Not a person who should be representing anyone in New Jersey.
It is clear Sen Allen has nothing to do with this at all.
It is clear that her signs were stolen and the claim is not baseless.
I wonder if Dennison will be issuing a full apology and stop his ridiculous actions?
Can't wait until November 7....then Dennison will be out of public view forever.
Martin One - drinking the koolaid still
I have to hand it to you, you are sticking to your candidate as he slips beneath the surface with one last gasp. Dennison has the balls to lie about the prosecutors office and then get offended when the Pros. doesn't play along. The ELEC reports say the 7th dist DEM candidates have raised more then the Allen team, yet Dennison whines that he is being outspent by his opponent. Wait, does that mean Herb & Jack aren't sharing the wealth? Guess they know something we are quickly realizing. Dennison is unelectable. This is starting to look like Ashton will jump out and yell PUNKED! It can't get any more bizarre. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. Stay tuned...
oh - and the signs?
Ask around. Signs get picked up by the highway department and get swiped and knocked down by joe public in every election. Tell Dennison to check the highway department dumpsters.
Allen has better things to do then coordinate sign placement. Like taking calls from angry public servants who are getting dragged into ridiculous political accusations. Get a grip.
oh - and the signs?
Ask around. Signs get picked up by the highway department and get swiped and knocked down by joe public in every election. Tell Dennison to check the highway department dumpsters.
Allen has better things to do then coordinate sign placement. Like taking calls from angry public servants who are getting dragged into ridiculous political accusations. Get a grip.
Can we just get along
Can we just get along, with the election? Tuesday can't come soon enough
MARTIN AND DENNISON - IMBECILES!
TALK ABOUT TWO STUPID BARKING MOONBATS!
Martin, I will call you a bleeping stupid ass idiot anytime I or anyone else wants to, especially when you are ACTING like one!! How dare you stick up for a piece of garbage like Dennison when he CLEARLY is guilty OF LYING! How dare you ACCUSE DIANE ALLENS OFFICE of doing the right thing WHEN DENNISON WAS WRONG!
Martin, BY THE WAY, you cannot FORM MORE THAN ONE SCREEN NAME ON THIS SITE! I tried to do a nickname and it does NOT ALLOW ME TO because I only have one email and one computer, so unless you can prove another way of cheating the system to get all these nics that you are accusing me of being, SHADDAP YOU STUPID FOOL!
There! Martin you have just effectively closed the book on the kind of person you are!
Dennison is soooooooooo done, he is toast and I am glad he is now a persona non grata in his own party!
Most candidates issue the
Most candidates issue the order to leave their opponent's signs alone. Most candidates know that there will be at least one pain-in-the-neck volunteer who will do whatever they want to do, as the candidate is not the volunteer's parent, legal guardian, or infallible omnipotent being (though most of them would like to think otherwise). Martin, while Diane Allen's supporters on PoliticsNJ can be insufferable loudmouths, she can't control what they do--this isn't a nanny state--and to pull "she started it" when Dennison's volunteer used a car that traces directly back to him shows considerable political naivete. The fact remains that he egregiously misrepresented Mr. Bernardi's position in an attempt to save face. Are yard signs really the hill he wants to die on? Seriously? His complete lack of dignity undermines any high road he might have had. If he had proof that GOP volunteers (and not apolitical teenagers who think they're being oh-so-hilarious, whom I suspect are most often behind such shenanigans) were tampering with signs, then the thing to do would be exactly what Allen did: call the police, not issue a letter calling for a showdown. The voters want a choice between candidates at the polls, not a replay of High Noon.
This is Great!
Marty, I agree, SHADDAP FOOL!
Do you really know how you sound? Any credibility you may have had left is gone and not to be given back.
Dennison tried to lie his way out of an accusation to Diane Allen, and then misrepresent himself to the Proescutor! What did you think the Prosecutor was gonna do? Slap his little hand and tell him to run along? Oh Hell no!
I hope Dennison gets the whole book thrown at him! I am so glad that Allen did nothing but be herself and run on her merits and experience and allowed Dennison to totally self destruct.
This is a true cautionary tale to those Dems and GOP alike who think they can act this way and get away with it!
More Cowbell Please !!
This is Great!
Marty, I agree, SHADDAP FOOL!
Do you really know how you sound? Any credibility you may have had left is gone and not to be given back.
Dennison tried to lie his way out of an accusation to Diane Allen, and then misrepresent himself to the Proescutor! What did you think the Prosecutor was gonna do? Slap his little hand and tell him to run along? Oh Hell no!
I hope Dennison gets the whole book thrown at him! I am so glad that Allen did nothing but be herself and run on her merits and experience and allowed Dennison to totally self destruct.
This is a true cautionary tale to those Dems and GOP alike who think they can act this way and get away with it!
More Cowbell Please !!
Signs..
If people want to see some hilarious sign abusing, drive through Marlboro. That mayor's campaign is ridiculous. Signs are good and boost ego's but they do not decide voters.
Sorry Lenny Inzerillo..
What A Clown!
Hey Rich, after the election come see me and I'll give you a job dumping fries at one of my restaurants.
Marty, I'll tell you what; I will call on on Allen to come clean, when you come clean about being on the Camden Political Bosses payroll and stop wearing that ridiculous manbag.